Thai Court Puts Russia’s Bout Closer to U.S. Custody

[maddezmom]

Source: Bloomberg

October 05, 2010, 4:51 AM EDT

Oct. 5 (Bloomberg) -- A Thai court dismissed a second case against accused Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, clearing a legal hurdle to having him extradited to the U.S. to face terrorism charges.

“The second set of cases are dropped,” prosecutor Sirisak Tiyapan told reporters in Bangkok after the ruling. “So the extradition on the first case will continue.”

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Bout’s case has fueled a diplomatic row between the U.S. and Russia, with each country pressuring Thailand to follow its version of events. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the Aug. 20 ruling to extradite Bout “political” and summoned Thailand’s ambassador.

The U.S. accuses the ex-Soviet air force officer of running an air cargo network that shipped weapons to conflict zones from Afghanistan to Rwanda. Bout has denied wrongdoing, saying he was framed by U.S. undercover agents who posed as Colombian rebels during his arrest in Bangkok two years ago.



Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-10-05/thai-court-puts-russia-s-bout-closer-to-u-s-custody.html